Columnar phases of achiral vanadyl liquid crystalline complexes

Two liquid crystalline vanadyl complexes have been studied by frequency domain dielectric spectroscopy over the range 10 mHz to 13 MHz. The materials exhibit two or three columnar phases denoted Col(ro), Col(rd), and Col(hd) that were identified by X-ray diffraction. In the higher temperature Col(ro) phase, a relaxation process in the kHz range is observed that is attributed to the reorientation about the molecular short axis. A pronounced dielectric relaxation process shows up in the low temperature Col(ro) phase at hertz and sub-hertz frequencies. This slow relaxation is assigned to reorientation of the molecular dipoles within the polar linear chains, which are aligned along the column's axis. Triangular wave switching studies at low frequency reveal processes inside the Col(ro) phase which are most probably due to ionic/charges relaxations but a ferroelectric switching for an achiral discotic system cannot be ruled out completely. Below the Col(ro) phase there is an orientationally disordered crystalline Cr-x phase with disordered side chain dipoles. A dielectric relaxation process connected with the intramolecular relaxation of the alkoxy side chains, similar to the beta-process of polymers, has been found in the lower temperature Cr-x phase.